Based in Miami, but inspired by Haitian culture, Poze brand is a Haitian street wear brand for both men and women. The word “Poze” meaning “chill” or “relaxed” in Creole, is heard in most conversations between Haitians. The brand, founded in 2014 by Jeff Appolon, prides itself in teaching the world about Haitians, one word, one picture, and one story at a time. So far 3 collections have been released and the 4th one is forthcoming.

Check out our interview with Mr. “Poze” himself, where he discusses his latest collection.

Tell me about your new collection and what was the inspiration behind it.• This collection follows up on the previous one which pushes the boundaries further. I want this collection to be engaging to the mind and also laid back. Half of the pieces in the 4th collection visit our rich history and capture moments of glory. As a country, we’ve taken so many L’s in the past that we forget that we were once great.

How does the collection reflect your Haitian background?• One of the shirt is inspired by the current success of our Haitian national soccer team. I mean, we haven’t won any world cup but we are doing better now. The shirt I’m referring to shows the picture of Haitian soccer Legend Manno Sanon as he scored the famous goal against Italian goalkeeper Dino Zoff during the 1974 world cup match Vs Italy. That goal ended Dino Zoff’s long standing 1142 minutes without getting scored on. After I read about it, I thought that it was important to celebrate that moment and glorify him.

• Another shirt I have is a drawing of the statue of Marie Louise Coidavid, who was Henry Christophe’s wife. I visited the Palais Sans Soucis a couple of years ago and I remember seeing the statue. I remember how proud it made me feel. Somehow I feel that it’s the same feeling that a diaspora gets when they first visit Haiti. Even though only the ruins are left, it shows greatness once existed in our country. I feel like back then, our ancestors were a bit more courageous than us because they did more with less.

When and where can one purchase the new collection? Will it be available in stores in Haiti?• Yes it will be available in Haiti. I had the perfect store to sell, but unfortunately with the economic instability, the store had to close down. I am looking at some other places to carry it in PV. More information will be provided soon. Everything should be available beginning of June.

How does the brand Poze reflect your personal style?• I tend to be more on the conservative side, so my designs will be a bit minimalist. I don’t really like loud colors and too much going on in a t-shirt. I usually go for neutral designs that you can wear when you’re out. But every now and then, I’ll collaborate with someone who may have a different taste than me. I try to have the designs balanced. I’ll take suggestions from my friends and see what they prefer. After all Poze is not my personal brand, it’s the people’s brand.

Where do you draw inspiration for your designs?• I try to keep up with the current trends and add a bit of Haitian mix to it. I’ll be on fashion blogs all day and Instagram when I have some free time. If I see something that catches my eye at the mall, I put a note on my phone. Basically my whole environment.

Is there someone from the fashion world that inspires you?• I’m a big Kanye West fan. A lot of times I like his style but other times I feel like he pushes the boundaries but then again that is what fashion is all about. I like his style better when he’s rocking the tall tees, ripped fitted denims and yeezys. I also like Big Sean’s style, he’s always on point.

What is your personal favorite piece of the 4th collection?• I really like the Manno Sanon t-shirt and the hat with the Poze hands. I feel like I can see those items on the shelf of an Urban Outfitters store. I like that they are Haiti related but with a touch of pop culture.

What can we expect from Poze in the near future?• I really want to branch out to different things. I wanna go deeper into female and kids clothing but I’m a bit limited as far as man power. I want the brand to evolve and get better with time. My goal is to keep the brand alive so that one day I see it in a website like Complex, The Source or Highsnobiety as a street wear brand to watch out for.

Hip-Hop icon Pharrell Williams teams up once again with German giant Adidas to launch the Spring/Summer 2016 collaboration “Pink Beach”.

Pharrell’s passion for arts, music, and fashion comes to life just in time for Summer with this new collaboration of footwear and apparel.

Distinguished by vibrant colors and inspired by tropical prints and island vibes with doodles and words created by Pharrell himself, the Pink Beach collection includes a selection of tanks, leggings, swimsuits, jackets, and ponchos for men, women, and kids.

The footwear collection is an adaptation of the classic Adidas Stan Smith remodeled for the beach. Using molded nubuck heels and patched-tape uppers, the Elastic Slip On and Lace Up kicks are available in white as well as cool colors such as bright blue and sand grey.

See more of the collection below:

The first part of the collection dropped on May 5th, with the second part released this past Thursday. Pink Beach is available at the Adidas online store and retailers.

Often compared to Ciara and the late singer Aaliyah, Samaria Leah Smith, daughter of LL cool J and Simone Smith has been making waves recently on social media. With her daring and unique sense of style it’s no wonder that Samaria Leah is our “IT” girl of the month.

Get to know this fashionista on the interview below:

What sparked your interest in fashion?

Since I was a little girl I was always in and out of my mother’s clothes and shoes. My mom was always into fashion and still is. She was always fabulous and had the latest and newest of everything. I think I definitely got it from her.

Did you always know that you wanted to be a designer? Absolutely, again as a child I would change outfits about seven times a day. I would sketch non stop. Cut things, tie things together and do basically anything I wanted to make anything cuter.

What’s your favorite aspect of the fashion industry?My favorite aspect of the fashion industry is just that it gives you the ability to express yourself in which ever way you want. Also the chance to make people feel beautiful in what they are wearing. Having the talent to be able to do that means everything to me.

Do you draw inspiration from any designers?I think everyone finds inspiration from other designers. It’s all about learning from others and knowing the history but using that and forming your own stylistic ideas in new, innovative ways.

Who is your favorite designer and why?My favorite designer would be Alexander Wang. He completely embodies what I love about fashion. He’s sleek, sexy and simple and minimalistic at times , but he also gives femininity a tomboyish, edgy, street vibe.

Your father was a fashion icon in the 1980s and 90s. Has he influenced you in anyway?

I think he influences me in my obsessions with vintage and 90’s style.

How would you define your personal style?My personal style is moody I would say. And I mean that by just how I’m feeling. Sometimes I feel like a tomboy, sometimes I want to be sexy or girly. Sometimes I want a bohemian vibe or structured and clean. It kinda just depends on what I’m doing that day and how I’m feeling. But my style is very diverse and I’m always open to new stuff. I’ll mix cheaper things with expensive things, If I like it like it.

What is your favorite item of clothing?My favorite item of clothing right now is probably my shoe collection at the moment. I’m a huge sneaker head and I love sick heels so recently I’ve been getting a lot of new dope shoes and it’s growing and prospering!

What is something that makes you cringe about fashion? When people have all the right clothes or bomb pieces but wear them wrong or just don’t know how to rock them. That drives me crazy!

What current trend would you never follow?I’m over the camel colored trench coat look. I think it’s been overdone.

After graduation what are your plans in the fashion industry?

My plan is to start my own company of vintage wear and eventually my very own exclusive collection.

What advice do you have for other aspiring fashion designers?Go to school for fashion and learn the business. Regardless if you have the talent or not…if you want people to work for you, you have to know how to do everything so you’re able to tell them what you want. You have to learn how to drape and do patterns. I’m someone finds sewing, draping and pattern to be boring and I want to hire people to do that for me but you have to know how to do it yourself, it will only make you smarter and more keen. I’ve hated this throughout college but it’s definitely made me a better designer and it will make your life easier when you’re working in industry.

This summer we will get a chance to catch more of Samaria as she is featured on EJ and the city, a new show that will air on E!